Curriculum & Course Preparation

Complete the tasks below to prepare for the start of your course work.

Contacts for each task are listed below - please reach out to them directly with any questions or concerns.

Review Technology Requirements

Click here to review our IT Quick Facts guide which provides computer specifications required for medical school and exam taking. 

Financial aid information regarding technology purchases is available (generally in July) which could help you make informed budgeting decisions prior to making your purchase.

Questions?

Contact central UMN IT at help@umn.edu.

Calendar & Courses for Year 1

Online Course Availability

Canvas is our learning management system, where you will access all course information, including detailed class schedules. You will have access to Medical School Canvas courses 10 days before classes begin.  Your initial access to the Canvas platform will be issued over the summer as part of Orientation preparations.

Calendars & Scheduling

Access to an overview of the academic year (including holidays, and general course start and stop dates) can be viewed on the Academic Calendars home page.

Six weeks before a new course begins, you will have access to view the course calendar, prior to Canvas being available, in the public calendar (for MS1 and MS2) .

We recommend that you browse the Medical Education website, which has important information for all four years of medical school.

Questions?

Contact Elle Fasteland at efastela@umn.edu.

Required Equipment and Resources

There are a few items that will be required early in your courses that we recommend you purchase prior to the beginning of classes. These items will be used frequently throughout your training. Other course-specific materials will be provided in course syllabi prior to the beginning of each individual course.

An official letter with details on required equipment and ordering instructions can be found here.

If you have any questions, please contact Elle Fasteland (efastela@umn.edu).

Complete the Advising Intake Form.

Your Advisors are excited to meet you! In an effort to get to know you better, please complete the advising intake survey.  This information will be shared only with your academic and faculty advisor to help them to learn the best ways to serve you as you start your journey in medical school. 

If you have any questions, please contact Addy Irvine at abrickwe@umn.edu.

Review accommodation options and connect with the DRC.

Whether you have received accommodations in a previous learning setting or not, take the time to review the options available at the University of Minnesota.

If you determine you'd like to request accommodations, connect with the Disability Resource Center (DRC) as early as possible to start making arrangements. The earlier the DRC is aware of your needs, the earlier they can connect with faculty and staff to ensure you are set up for success from Orientation onwards.

Questions? Contact the DRC at drc@umn.edu.